Seven people, including a toddler and the pilot, perished in a helicopter crash early Sunday morning in Uttarakhand, northern India. The Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter was ferrying Hindu pilgrims from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi when it went down near Gaurikund, a remote forested area along the pilgrimage route.
The helicopter had just completed a short flight from Guptkashi to Kedarnath, landing at 5:18 AM, before departing again at 5:19 AM. It crashed between 5:30 and 5:45 AM, with officials citing poor weather and near-zero visibility as likely factors. The crash resulted in a fire that severely charred the bodies of the victims, making identification challenging.
Authorities have launched a comprehensive rescue and relief operation, with teams from the SDRF and NDRF working alongside local police. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department reported, “At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham, could not be located”.
This disaster follows closely on the heels of a catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787 crashed into a residential area, killing at least 270 people. The death toll from that incident continues to rise as rescue teams sift through debris, and families submit DNA samples to identify loved ones.
In the aftermath, aviation authorities have tightened safety regulations. The DGCA has reduced helicopter flights to major pilgrimage destinations, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has reiterated that all operators must strictly adhere to weather and safety protocols.